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Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | |||
Randall Jarrell's "Skaters" is a vivid and evocative poem that explores themes of movement, desire, and the inexorable pull towards an unknown, perhaps perilous destiny. The poem’s narrative is rich with imagery and metaphor, creating a dreamlike journey across icy landscapes that ultimately leads into an abyss. The poem begins with a pastoral scene where the speaker stands "among my sheep / As silent as my staff." This imagery evokes a sense of timelessness and tranquility, but it is soon disrupted by the dynamic vision of skaters gliding across "the sea's massy floor." The skaters are described in terms of their fluidity and grace, likened to the wind and light, which underscores their ethereal, almost otherworldly presence. The speaker becomes entranced by the skaters, joining their movement "until at evening's edge / I marked their breathless flock." The transition from day to night symbolizes a passage from the familiar into the mysterious. As the speaker moves among the skaters "like light along its lands," there is a sense of unity and harmony with the skaters, as well as an intimate connection. "Lust wreathed their lips, and speed / Stiffened their tissue limbs," the poem states, imbuing the skaters with a sense of urgency and physical intensity. Their journey is marked by passion and the drive to move forward. The skaters’ relentless northward progression "through the months of night" highlights their endurance and determination. The imagery of "million glances flecked / Upon my flickering gaze / Bent to me in the stars / Of one obsessing face" suggests an overwhelming fascination with a singular, captivating presence. This face symbolizes an all-consuming love or desire that propels the speaker and the skaters onward. The lines "How long we pled our love! / How thorough our embrace!" reveal the depth of the emotional and physical connection experienced during this journey. The journey itself becomes a metaphor for a passionate and consuming relationship. The skaters' movement "by post and igloo" suggests a life of constant transition and temporary refuges, further emphasizing the transient nature of their existence. The poem reaches a pivotal moment as the speaker cries, "Here we must pause," recognizing the need to create a shelter from "the eternal ice" and "endless night." However, despite this momentary hesitation, the skaters are propelled forward by the "iron's dazzling ring, the roar / Of the starred ice black below," indicating the irresistible pull of their journey and the forces driving them. The final lines depict a descent into an abyss: "The skaters like swallows flicker / Around us in the long descent." This descent suggests a loss of control and a surrender to the unknown. The imagery of "deaf limbs" and "the cold mouth's dumb assent" evokes a sense of helplessness and acceptance of fate. In "Skaters," Jarrell masterfully uses the metaphor of skating to explore themes of love, desire, and the inexorable journey towards an uncertain end. The poem’s vivid imagery and lyrical language create a haunting, dreamlike narrative that captures the intensity of emotion and the relentless movement of life. Through the skaters' journey, the poem delves into the profound and often perilous nature of human passion and the drive to pursue it, even into the depths of the unknown.
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